About a year ago, the town was buzzing about a potential Flame
being dealt at the deadline to the Pittsburgh Penguins to play on Sidney
Crosby's wing - like he did in 2010 - and help the Pens to a Stanley Cup. The
one generating that buzz was of course long-time captain and icon Jarome
Iginla. Sure enough, in bizarre fashion, Iginla was shipped to the Steel City.

Now, just under a year later, the Penguins appear to be right in the thick
of things relating to acquiring a Flames rental sniper at the deadline, once
again. This time, it's Mike Cammalleri. At first glance it seems like an odd
fit for a number of reasons, but if we look a little deeper, this may actually
be a scenario which makes sense for both teams.

Why Pittsburgh?

They have a hole on one of Crosby's
wings - with Pascal Dupuis out for the year with an injury - and they have a
wealth of quality prospects (even without Hanowski and Agostino! Imagine
that!).

Pascal Dupuis has been a staple on the Penguins top line
along side Olympic Gold medalists Crosby and Chris Kunitz for a number of
seasons, and now finds himself sidelined with a season ending knee injury. That
leaves a pretty big hole on the right side on the Pens' top line. Cammalleri
has pulled a little right wing duty in his career, although not a ton. You'd
think he'd be an upgrade over the current resident in that spot - Brian
Gibbons. Never heard of him? Exactly. I'm not sure if the Penguins want to give
up considerable assets for a few months of a rental again, but an upgrade on that right
side is desperately needed, no doubt.

The Return

Note: The scenario is only
referring to the type of pick and quality of prospect in it. The specificprospects I
list are only examples of the caliber mentioned.

The Penguins' 1st in 2013 went to the Flames in the Iginla
deal and turned into Morgan Klimchuk, which I'm sure Calgary is very satisfied with. I'm sure
they'd like to try that again this year and try extracting another Top 30
selection from Ray Shero and company. However, I doubt they're successful for a
number of reasons, primarily being that if Pittsburgh
gives up their first this year, they wouldn't pick until the 3rd round (their
2nd went to San Jose
in the Doug Murray deal). It is a weak draft, but not choosing in the Top 60 is
not something the Pens looking favourably on, I'm sure.

The Penguins have no shortage of B/C prospects, as they
proved last year when they pulled Agostino and Hanowski out of nowhere. Oskar
Sundqvist may be a prospect which strikes the Flames fancy, being a big,
responsible centerman. The six-foot-three faceoff taker has played 46 games in
the SHL this year and registered 14 points in those contests - very respectable
numbers for a 19 year old in that league. Skating may be an issue with
Sundqvist, but such tools can be taught and groomed as the player develops.
Anton Zlobin has an awesome name and scored the Memorial Cup winning goal for Shawinigan a few years
ago, padding some recognition to his name. Zlobin plays the right side, an area
of weakness in the Flames system (where they have Emile Poirier, Ben Hanowski and not much else), and would also infuse more skill and
creativity into the farm. After a decade of farm hands as prospects, you can
never have enough skill! Zlobin is a tad undersized at five-foot-11 but weighs
in at a respectable 198. He has 10 points in 30 AHL games as a rookie. Jake
Guentzel is an interesting name because he reminds me a bit of Johnny Gaudreau
- except less awesome. He's small at five-foot-10, 157 pounds, but ripped up
the USHL before going to college and almost scoring a point per game as a
freshman. He has 25 points in 30 games, although just four snipes. He's the
"anti-Burke" ideal of a player, but those numbers as an undersized,
freshman centerman are impressive.

Realistic Scenario

Now, before you shred me apart, just know that if the pick
is not a first rounder, Burke is going to want a quality prospect, and that's
what these guys listed above are.

Scott Harrington is in his rookie AHL season this year and
is a solid, solid 2-way defenseman. A solid skater and puck mover, Harrington
is not awfully offensively inclined. The six-foot-one, 203-pound blueliner
excels best in the defensive zone, shutting down opponents and neutralizing
scoring chances against. He's basically Tyler Wotherspoon, actually. Of Pittsburgh's big pool of
defenseman, he may the one they'd most likely part with, with Brian Dumoulin
probably being the other. The big, six-foot-three defender was brought to Pittsburgh in the Jordan
Staal deal and has been solid at both the AHL and NHL level. At 22, Dumoulin is
NHL ready now and brings both offensive and defensive qualities to the ice.
Simon Despres may be a pipe dream, along with Derrick Pouliot (the other top gun
defensive prospect; not listed), because of his high ceiling. Despres was a
30th overall pick in 2009 and has shown strong offensive ability. He already
has 69 NHL games under his belt, 18 of them this year, and I think the Penguins
envision him as a member of their club moving forward, even more so now with
Kris Letang's status unknown.

Sum It Up

A deal sending Cammalleri to Pittsburgh seems very plausible, in fact I
see it being a destination that makes a lot of sense. The price tag for a
Moulson or Vanek rental would probably be way to much to swallow for Ray Shero
so still acquiring a quality sniper like Cammalleri would make sense. Given the
wealth of prospects they sit on, dealing with the Penguins looks to be a good
idea for the Flames too. "A 5-foot-9 rental with concussion history for
THAT price?! Are you nuts?!"

Well that's the market right now and if the return isn't relatively hefty
like broken down above, Cammalleri will be lining up for the Calgary Flames on
March 5th, because Brian Burke is not just going to be giving him away.

Other Cammalleri Trade Scenarios

Christian Roatis is a European by birth, Calgarian by heart. Other than writing at FlamesNation, he writes about and scouts NHL Draft Prospects at Future Considerations. Follow him on Twitter @CRoatis!

Heard Devil's were scouting Cammi at the game last night. I just don't see the Pens so aggressive in the Rental market this year after last year. If I was Burke & wanted to speed up the rebuild, we desperately need an NHL ready top 4 dman. Jersey has about 3 or 4 of those, who they obviously wouldn't part with for just Cammi. But I can see Burke to target someone like Larsson. So Cammi, our 2014 2nd because NJ lack a 1st rounder this year & I would add a Granlund or Berra(seeing Marty is gone after this year & Schneider needs a backup that can fit the bill) This sounds like a lot but I would do this deal & take a chance on someone with Larssons pedigree.

Can't get rid of Granlund. He's only played one game. He could be stud. He was very impressive in Penticton and has gone on to have an excellent first year in Abby. These are the kind of players we need to stock up on.

Maybe move a project like Colborne or Jones where we know their ceiling.

I just think expectations have been inflated by the general sense that what we received for Jarome and J-Bo wasn't adequate, and that Burke will/could/should do better when moving Cammalleri.

I just don't see it.

I would not be surprised at all if Cammalleri re-signs. He has been vocal about liking it in Calgary and I think is part of a healthy leadership group for the team. If the value isn't there, re-sign him to a home town discount deal (probably with a NTC) and then wait for the cap to go up and try again.

@Rex Libris

I agree that Edmonton is in almost the exact same boat with Hemsky, and that fan expectations of a late 1st for his services are not likely to be met. I'm guessing Edm might get a last minute offer of a 2nd rnd pick - and they should jump at it.
The other scenario is that they move Eberle and re-sign Hemsky. IMO the Oilers are a complete mess and need surgery a lot more radical than just dumping Hemsky on a better team for a low pick will fix. Eberle would bring significantly more in return, and would free up a 2nd line roster spot to keep a (cost reduced) Ales Hemsky in the fold.

We got absolutely killed on the J-Bo deal. That's not just a perception, it is fact.

The Oilers are in the same boat with Hemsky, in the return not being considered fair value for the asset.

Think of how Garth Snow's job is looking right now. He either falls on his sword and lets a top five pick go in this year's draft and then tries desperately to improve his team over the summer to avoid getting canned (if he doesn't get fired this summer) or keeps the pick, lets next year's go and then scrambles to avoid the almost inevitable fact that the pick will be in the non-playoff lottery for one of McDavid or Eichel.

To top it off, the return he is likely to get on Vanek is probably not going to cover the cost of acquiring him when taken in addition to what Buffalo could get from trading Moulson at the deadline.

Say what we will about Darcy Regier, he took Snow to the woodshed on that one. Meanwhile, Mike Milbury just got some company for worst GM in the history of the league.

Can't get rid of Granlund. He's only played one game. He could be stud. He was very impressive in Penticton and has gone on to have an excellent first year in Abby. These are the kind of players we need to stock up on.

Maybe move a project like Colborne or Jones where we know their ceiling.

Yeah, maybe Granlund will be good & yeah we don't know much about the kid. Gotta give to get. We have lots of kids with unknown potential. Granlund is also a cente. So we have Backlund, Monahan, Knight, Arnold, Reinhart,+ Stajan. Granlund on the 4th line hardly makes sense. Now on the blue line, most of us are praying we get a shot at Ekblad because of the need for high end dmen we currently lack. Larsson has the same Pedigree as Ekblad, has already been developing & would be way more NHL ready than Ekblad, you take a chance & you pay a steep price for such a vital organizational piece.
Thing is, it doesn't necessarily need to be Granlund, NJ will be needing a backup for Schneider next year & Berra would be an incredible fit. These are the deals we need to make if we want to speed up this rebuild. Our 1st's should be untouchable.

Heard Devil's were scouting Cammi at the game last night. I just don't see the Pens so aggressive in the Rental market this year after last year. If I was Burke & wanted to speed up the rebuild, we desperately need an NHL ready top 4 dman. Jersey has about 3 or 4 of those, who they obviously wouldn't part with for just Cammi. But I can see Burke to target someone like Larsson. So Cammi, our 2014 2nd because NJ lack a 1st rounder this year & I would add a Granlund or Berra(seeing Marty is gone after this year & Schneider needs a backup that can fit the bill) This sounds like a lot but I would do this deal & take a chance on someone with Larssons pedigree.

As I mentioned before, the Feast sealed his fate with the Jay Bo deal...sadly for him Burning Sensation isn't President of Flames Hockey Ops. The deal is now basically Poirier for Jay Bo straight up...all world defenceman for a 19 year old still only 8th in scoring in QMJHL even though on many nights having to skate around 16 year old pylons.at least Gaudreau is playing against grown men. Major junior stats are suspect at best especially for guys in their 19/20 year old seasons...the difference between 16/17 and 19/20 is massive....boys versus men.

- and a NTC
- and well below average offense for his role
- a big $ tag with years left to run on it
- and a NTC

Did I mention he had a NTC? He had a NTC.

My real point is that you can't on the one hand say Feaster got hosed, and then on the other look at Poirier and say 'he's an excellent return'.

Quibble over whether the Detroit offer was better or not (it wasn't), but landing Poirier in the deal for JBo is simply not a bad thing.

Cant agree with you sir. I am in that Feaster got hosed camp as well. A few reasons for that:

1/ JBO is a top 2 tough competition, high minute dman. These guys are rarely available & go for a premium. Cap hit may have been high but Flames could have carried some salary to get a monster return. He didn't. Even yet, the bare minimum is a 1st & probably should have gotten 2 firsts if you are taking guys like Cundari & Berra who didn't even come close to their top 10 prospects. Where ever we would have traded him to, we would have gotten a 1st, we could have gotten Porrier either way, so I put less stock in the Porrier return justifies the crud return.

2/There was no urgency to trade JBO at the TDL, we could have moved him at the draft when teams could have adjusted for his cap hit. We can speculate about whether he would have been available, but I have to believe we could have had Porrier with our Iggy pick. If Feaster had waited to the last day of the TDL, that Detroit offer could have improved drastically. That St Louis deal would have been there, maybe we could have gotten one of their top 10 prospects with Berra & that 1st, especially if Feaster had made it known we would just keep him &offer him at the Draft instead. You will never see Burke make that mistake. Feaster was out of his league when it came to trades. His drafting not so bad.

If I was a GM, I'd be extremely nervous about Cammalleri as a rental, given his concussion and how he's played since. Obviously I'm not a GM, but a 3rd + an A/B prospect seems like a price I'd be willing to pay, especially if I planned/had the cap space to sign him going forward.

I'm thinking the pick returned could be a conditional pick, based upon Cammi staying healthy and productive. Something like a first if he plays well and stays healthy, or a second and a fourth if he goes lame. In doing a conditional deal, I would want to get a slightly better prospect though, since I'm taking on the extra risk of possible reduced return.

Yeah, maybe Granlund will be good & yeah we don't know much about the kid. Gotta give to get. We have lots of kids with unknown potential. Granlund is also a cente. So we have Backlund, Monahan, Knight, Arnold, Reinhart,+ Stajan. Granlund on the 4th line hardly makes sense. Now on the blue line, most of us are praying we get a shot at Ekblad because of the need for high end dmen we currently lack. Larsson has the same Pedigree as Ekblad, has already been developing & would be way more NHL ready than Ekblad, you take a chance & you pay a steep price for such a vital organizational piece.
Thing is, it doesn't necessarily need to be Granlund, NJ will be needing a backup for Schneider next year & Berra would be an incredible fit. These are the deals we need to make if we want to speed up this rebuild. Our 1st's should be untouchable.

I don't think the first is untouchable, but with a first as high as this one's likely to be, that should never be a "deadline" piece. You'd be better off waiting until after the draft lottery,or at the draft to make that call. In my eyes at least, you're better trading the draft pick once it becomes a known quantity. Sure, if you trade it to NJ as a top-3/4 pick, and then rocket up the standings, you've come out ahead. There's just as much chance of the opposite happening. You're better off knowing what that pick is, scouting the players that will be there, and making an assessment on that talent.

has anyone looked at cammi heading to the motorcity? the detroit model of development is the envy of most franchises. i feel that the flames faithful are over valuing cammi, production has been spiralling downward as age increases. honestly, i dont believe many gms would throw a first round pick berserks way.

I totally agree!

Some other GM: "What have you accomplished lately, Mike?"

Cammalleri: "Uhh, well, I got a concussion. And I wear an 'A' this year. Pretty sure I'm on pace for career lows in all categories since my early years...aaand I'm 5'9", so, you know, I'm bigger than at least 3 or 4 guys in this league. Don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm 258th in league scoring."

Some other GM: "Okay, well, Mr. Burke, why should we give you ____ and ____ for Mr. Cammalleri?"

Burke: "Hold on...I just need to loosen my tie a little more. Ah, that's better...HE'S TRUCULENT. AND HE'S A LEADER. AND HE USED TO BE REALLY, REALLY GOOD. SCORED MORE THAN JAROME ONE YEAR. LOOK, HE'S A GREAT PLAYER ON A BAD TEAM...okay, well, GOOD player on a bad team...okay, well...he plays on a bad team. And uh...Kevin Lowe sucks. ...that's really all I have here."

Some other GM: "Mike, what would you say is your greatest assest?"

Cammalleri: "Sometimes I play really, really, really well for a couple of games. It happens once every couple of years."

If I were another GM looking at #13, I'd have my concerns for sure. That being said, Cammy IS a proven NHLer, and could be really effective on a team where he doesn't have to be THE guy, you know? Plus, when has a trade deadline ever gone by without someone overpaying for a player with Cammy-like value?

It'll depend on a lot of things...who loads up, and how desperate other teams are to follow suit. If Burke can get a bidding war going, we may get an okay return.

Time will tell, I suppose. Either way, we will know by this time next week.

Jarome only got us a late first and two C prospects. As much as many would like to believe that return was 'light' beccause Feaster was the one making the deal, I suspect it has more to do with the market no longer valuing mercenaries on expiring contracts.

Cammalleri will get us either a 2nd round pick, or a B grade prospect.

It pains me to say this, but Depres and Larsson aren't gping to be available for a Cammalleri deal.

Jarome only got us a late first and two C prospects. As much as many would like to believe that return was 'light' beccause Feaster was the one making the deal, I suspect it has more to do with the market no longer valuing mercenaries on expiring contracts.

Cammalleri will get us either a 2nd round pick, or a B grade prospect.

It pains me to say this, but Depres and Larsson aren't gping to be available for a Cammalleri deal.

To be fair, I said for both that their inclusion in a Cammi deal is highly unlikely. My belief is Burke doesn't make the deal if it's not good.

Heard Devil's were scouting Cammi at the game last night. I just don't see the Pens so aggressive in the Rental market this year after last year. If I was Burke & wanted to speed up the rebuild, we desperately need an NHL ready top 4 dman. Jersey has about 3 or 4 of those, who they obviously wouldn't part with for just Cammi. But I can see Burke to target someone like Larsson. So Cammi, our 2014 2nd because NJ lack a 1st rounder this year & I would add a Granlund or Berra(seeing Marty is gone after this year & Schneider needs a backup that can fit the bill) This sounds like a lot but I would do this deal & take a chance on someone with Larssons pedigree.

That's scary. The Flames barely have enough top young talent to begin with and you get rid of there top prospect in a trade as a throw in. Yikes!!

Stewart woulda been nice, of course we don't have Ryan Miller to trade...

Not sure I like this deal the Blues made.

I get it: they are all in this year.....but that's a hefty price to pay for a couple of payers that are likely not going to make the difference.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not doubting my boy Rob Dimaio's judgement, but that's a lot of assets to give up.
I guess time will tell......

To me, Buffalo did very well in that trade. Halak is solid goaltender who is five years younger than Miller. Miller goes to the Blues and there's no guarantee he will re-sign there. Stewart will probably be a better fit in Buffalo, in St. Louis he's a little behind the pecking order of Backes, Steen, Roy, Oshie, plus Schwarz has emerged offensively. He will probably have a lot more ice time with the Sabres. The Sabres also landed a first round pick, they will put themselves in a good position for the future.

I liked Feaster, thought he was a nice guy and did some good things when comes to drafting, hiring people and making Flames a nicer team to play for. While ROR offer was a disaster, it is the Bouwmeester trade that is absolute disaster as it was pointed out. Not a Burke fun but Feaster had to go. Having said that ownership is the one responsible for the disaster that this team was, is, and will be for a while yet....

Yeah, maybe Granlund will be good & yeah we don't know much about the kid. Gotta give to get. We have lots of kids with unknown potential. Granlund is also a cente. So we have Backlund, Monahan, Knight, Arnold, Reinhart,+ Stajan. Granlund on the 4th line hardly makes sense. Now on the blue line, most of us are praying we get a shot at Ekblad because of the need for high end dmen we currently lack. Larsson has the same Pedigree as Ekblad, has already been developing & would be way more NHL ready than Ekblad, you take a chance & you pay a steep price for such a vital organizational piece.
Thing is, it doesn't necessarily need to be Granlund, NJ will be needing a backup for Schneider next year & Berra would be an incredible fit. These are the deals we need to make if we want to speed up this rebuild. Our 1st's should be untouchable.

Yah I see what you mean about the centre position. Thing is Granlund isn't going to be a difference maker this year for another team. But he will have a good shot here next season. I don't see Knight or Arnold necessarily taking a roster spot next season. A surplus of centres is a good thing - gives us leverage next season. Plus there always injury issues through the year and it's better to have proper face off guys playing centre.

I do really like your idea of Berra being dealt. He isn't a difference maker. He's had his chance. We can go next year with Ramo/Ortio and even pick up or trade for a true starter.

The fact is Feaster did not get 'killed' in the J-Bo deal (the original point of discussion) because empirically speaking Poirier is exactly the kind of player you hope you can get in return when you deal a guy the caliber of JBo.

Here's the thing, there is no confirmation I am aware of what the Detroit offer actually was (unlike the Iggy deal where we know the details because Chiarelli spilled them), so it is impossible to say Detroit's offer would have been better because we don't yet know what it was.

That said, at the time I preferred the rumoured Ouellete, Jarnkrok and a 2nd offer to what was received (a 1st, Cundari, Berra), but I have a hard time now watching Poirier undress defensemen and not think Feaster made the better call.

Consider too that Berra has improved by my eye as the season has progressed (from 'ohmygodno' to 'athleticbackupwithreboundissues'), to the point he might actually fetch something of value if we traded him.

If you want to say that Feaster should have taken the Detroit offer instead, I'd say you have an argument.

If you say Feaster got killed when he dealt JBo, I'll say you are wrong and just point out that if you slow down the third goal Poirier scores in that clip, you can see the precise moment he breaks the defender's soul.

I am in the camp that says Feaster got killed in the trade!! Poirier appears to be an excellent return but the expectations were much greater for a world class defenseman with term left on his contract! Cundari and Berra are garbage returns and I also strongly agree that Feaster deserves to have been fired specifically for that trade.

At the risk of being accused of 'living in the past' by my friend coachedpotatoe I say we move on...I'm confident Burke will make amends !

...can't help but think Ty Rattie in a Flames uniform on the same line as Sven...dreaming.....

has anyone looked at cammi heading to the motorcity? the detroit model of development is the envy of most franchises. i feel that the flames faithful are over valuing cammi, production has been spiralling downward as age increases. honestly, i dont believe many gms would throw a first round pick berserks way.

During the olympics I heard a report that Pittsburg did not want rental players for this years palyoff run. If that's the case the Flames would be more likely moving Hudler or Glencross if Pittsburg was the destination. Also with Letang injured might they be interested in someone like Wides?

Why not? Halak was a UFA this summer too. Miller is way better, way better. I like Ott over Stewart. I think Ott is truculent too & way more consistent, a very good centre. The true winner of this deal will be if Stlouis resign Miller & Ott. Then I love what they did.

Yes, I think they win those trades ......

It's the first rounder, the third rounder and the prospect that weigh the deal towards Buff in my opinion.

I don't think the first is untouchable, but with a first as high as this one's likely to be, that should never be a "deadline" piece. You'd be better off waiting until after the draft lottery,or at the draft to make that call. In my eyes at least, you're better trading the draft pick once it becomes a known quantity. Sure, if you trade it to NJ as a top-3/4 pick, and then rocket up the standings, you've come out ahead. There's just as much chance of the opposite happening. You're better off knowing what that pick is, scouting the players that will be there, and making an assessment on that talent.

You & are usually on the same page but I am not understanding how your post relates to mine? I am basically trying toget a 3d or 4th overall pick a 3-4 years ago for a good rental, a 2nd round pick(not our 1st) & a player like Granlund who is buried in our depth in potential 2nd/3rd line centre who was 2nd round pick when we got him. Given that defencemen take a little longer to ripen, I wouldnt be too concerned that Larsson hasnt developed the way some think a top 5 pick should have. No saying a guy like Ekblad doesnt take the same amount of time to show his pedigree. We desparately need a young potential top 4 dman to develop with Brodie & Russell. Thats all I'm saying. I agree with other posters that teams will only spend so much for a rental, but if they are in the market for one, then add some of B+ prospects to increase the return of our rental. I would rather do that than get a 2nd & another prospect we have lots of already & are going to load up on in the next few years.

If the Pens are knee deep in prospects I think Shero might be willing to part with one of them for a guy like Cammy. Someone has got to pick up the slack without Dupuis and Kunitz and a PP laden team like Pittsburgh would rather set up Cammy in the slot than Brian Gibbons no offense. Vanek and Moulson would be pricey, Shero's already traded with us once so he might be more comfortable trading with us again:)

One body I'd like to see move this trade year (other than Butler, Wideman, Stajan) is Hudler. He seems disinterested on the ice and although he is a very skilled player, he's unbelieveably soft and doesn't appear to fit into the program. I think his shine from earlier this year has worn off and recently he's been very average and doesn't show any interest in remaining in Calgary. In my mind, he has some value and would work well on a team with skilled Europeans to pair him up with.

To be fair, I said for both that their inclusion in a Cammi deal is highly unlikely. My belief is Burke doesn't make the deal if it's not good.

I just think expectations have been inflated by the general sense that what we received for Jarome and J-Bo wasn't adequate, and that Burke will/could/should do better when moving Cammalleri.

I just don't see it.

I would not be surprised at all if Cammalleri re-signs. He has been vocal about liking it in Calgary and I think is part of a healthy leadership group for the team. If the value isn't there, re-sign him to a home town discount deal (probably with a NTC) and then wait for the cap to go up and try again.

@Rex Libris

I agree that Edmonton is in almost the exact same boat with Hemsky, and that fan expectations of a late 1st for his services are not likely to be met. I'm guessing Edm might get a last minute offer of a 2nd rnd pick - and they should jump at it.
The other scenario is that they move Eberle and re-sign Hemsky. IMO the Oilers are a complete mess and need surgery a lot more radical than just dumping Hemsky on a better team for a low pick will fix. Eberle would bring significantly more in return, and would free up a 2nd line roster spot to keep a (cost reduced) Ales Hemsky in the fold.

both buffalo and st louis win in this deal. millwer has the edge over halak, ott has truculence and is tough to play against. buffalo gains a first rounder and possibly a second first round pick, adding to the stable of fine young prospects. if the sabres exercise the isles pick this year, they may have the first 2 picks. addition of ekblad to rustolainen and the big russian looks to be a solid solid backend.